Hunter goes into legislative session with high power ranking

CORPUS CHRISTI - State Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, will on Tuesday and for the seventh time, rise from his seat near the back of the chamber in the state House of Representatives and take the oath of office.

Though he may have expectations, Hunter has been around long enough to know that the Capitol is about the last place to expect everything to go one's way.

Again the most senior member of the Coastal Bend delegation in the House, Hunter downplays the hype surrounding his pre-session power ranking as determined by longtime Capitol insider Mike Hailey, editor of the members-only Capitol Inside.

Hunter, who as Calendars Committee chairman controls the destiny of thousands of bills each session, ended up third on Hailey's list of House power brokers, behind only Speaker of the House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, and state Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, who heads the budget committee that enters 2013 with a funding surplus and, therefore, enormous leverage.

Hunter said Thursday he pays attention to the power ranking but puts little stock in what it can bring.

"I could be ranked 200 by the end of the first week of the session," he joked. He said the same publication ranked him 17th in 2011.

But his seniority, experience and hard-won relationships will be a much-used asset for younger members such as Reps. J.M. Lozano and Abel Herrero, both of whom have said they count on Hunter to lead the way on such heavyweight topics as windstorm insurance reform.

"When you have someone with that level of experience and knowledge it can mean the difference between whether a bill lives or dies," Lozano said. "His advice can help you avoid the pitfalls."

Lozano said younger members take their cues from senior members such as Hunter.

"He never rests," Lozano said. "He's always taking part in statewide issues. It takes time to get to that point as a member, and those of us who want to be there someday watch him to know what to do to get there."

Hunter said with seniority comes an ability to discern at what points of a pressure-packed 140-day regular session it is time to push harder for legislation and priorities.

It also comes with 12- and 15-hour days in the cavernous Capitol, rushing to endless committee hearings to digest complex topics and, in the background, the din of an army of lobbyists angling for face time, something Hunter said is not always understood until it is experienced.

"It's worthwhile, but it can be a grind," Hunter said.

Experience also comes with influential committee assignments. As Calendars Committee chairman, among several others, Hunter is a friend every member — and lobbyist — needs.

"(The power) opens doors for your district," he said.

Also knowing an issue's history helps, Hunter said, particularly in such complex topics as windstorm insurance reform or education funding formulas, some of which have brought rise to lawsuits against the state that once resolved, will affect the way lawmakers address how to repair them.

After taking a vocal role in an interim tug-of-war between coastal leaders and state insurance officials and inland lawmakers over how to fix the struggling Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, Hunter said he will keep fighting.

He could talk about the statewide attention he has received. About plans for the future. He does not. Instead, he steers back to the responsibility he agrees he has to those who trust him to make an impact.

"Over the years, I believe, the coastline has been placed on the back burner," he said. "But it needs to be placed on the equal burner."